


Celestial Benrey in the fucking Chuck E Cheese

by genderenvy



Series: HLVRAI Dexon-12 AU [1]
Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware, Half-Life
Genre: Dexon-12 au, First Kiss, Fluff, Other, fucking uuhhhhh, gotta be ho est guys I have no idea how to tag this, that’s all I got
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24706258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderenvy/pseuds/genderenvy
Summary: “Yo, Feetman.”Gordon stops dead in his tracks. The can in his hand clatters to the ground, the sound ringing off the ugly yellow walls of the Chuck E. Cheese.
Relationships: Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Series: HLVRAI Dexon-12 AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1788217
Comments: 1
Kudos: 73





	Celestial Benrey in the fucking Chuck E Cheese

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so is an au I made up with my own universe and species. You can find more info about it on my tumblr (@rrrrrrrex with 7 R’s) by searching the tag “hlvrai dexon 12 au”. This probably doesn’t make much sense without context but I wanted to post this anyway

“Yo, Feetman.” 

Gordon stops dead in his tracks. The can in his hand clatters to the ground, the sound ringing off the ugly yellow walls of the Chuck E. Cheese. The party around him continues on, yet all the noise seems silent compared to that voice. He knows that voice. He recognizes it’s strange hollowness, the way it echoes off itself. He recognizes the quiet, high-pitched wind that comes with it. Most importantly, he recognizes who it comes from and just how much he misses them. Gordon slowly turns around. With his hopes confirmed, sobs begin wracking his body. Covering his mouth with a shaking hand, he feels the tears begin to well up in his eyes, threatening to spill over. 

There standing in front of him, in all their four-armed, glowing blue glory, is the one person he thought he’d never see again, not after what happened in their last battle. They have a slightly worried look on their face, like they’re unsure how Gordon is going to react. Gordon takes in their appearance. They look mostly the same, perhaps a slightly darker blue than before. And, of course, there’s the several cuts across their body, a strange half-liquid, half-gas floating out of them. Other than those minor details, it’s all the same. Deep blue, almost black, Celestial crosses burned into the right side of their torso and the left side of their face. Their unnaturally tall height. The two massive wings folded against their back. Their singular eye, difficult to perceive with the shadow over their face. Their long black hair. The way they sway side to side, ever so slightly. The slight shake in their hands. Their sharp teeth. The slight blush across their cheeks. 

It’s Benrey.

Before Gordon even registers what his own body is doing, he’s barrelling towards Benrey. They collide harshly, causing Benrey to stumble. They catch themselves before they fall, they always do. Gordon wraps his arms around them, squeezing as hard as he can, like he’s holding on for dear life. He’s mumbling something against their chest. It all comes out in such a rush even he’s not quite sure what he’s saying. Gordon takes a deep breath, loosening his hold in his Celestial friend ever so slightly. He needs a moment to sort out all his thoughts and emotions. 

First, Benrey isn’t dead. That comes as a surprise. When Antcium fell, they were caught in the violent explosion of their death. Not to mention the various injuries they suffered in battle, and everything they had endured up until that point. The fact that Benrey was alive was, to put it simply, a fucking miracle. Second, Gordon was happy to see them. As much of an ass as they had been, Gordon had missed their antics, their stupid jokes, the constant, monotone drone of their voice, their presence. Gordon has missed the way they, quite literally, lit up the room. Missed the warmth the radiated off them. Missed the quiet hum of the air around them. Missed the peaceful moments they shared at night, when Gordon couldn’t sleep and Benrey didn’t need to. Missed the way they’d catch the other watching with a look of longing on their face. The third realization hit Gordon like a truck. He loved them. No, he _loves_ them. He guesses he should have realized it earlier. Their confession all those days ago had left him feeling something, but he hadn’t had the time nor the energy to sort out his feelings until now. Now, in this moment of real, actual calm, he has the time. The time to figure out why his heart fluttered at Benrey’s stupid jokes. To understand the worry he felt when Benrey would dive, wings spread, in front of him, taking bullets that would have killed him. He has the time to understand why, right now, his heart swells at the sight of them alive, not exactly well, but by The Beings Above, alive. 

Once his heart rate is back to something somewhat normal, Gordon pulls out of the hug and holds Benrey at arm’s length. “Beings Above, damn it! Where have you been?!”

“Um…” Benrey fidgets in their spot, hands wringing together. “I… kinda almost died. I need to, y’know, heal and shit.”

“We could have helped you! We had Darnold with us! He’s the strongest Xanrestion healer we know! I thought you were dead!”

Benrey winces. “I was unstable. If you guys had seen me, my real form, you’d probably be dead. Not probably. You would be.”

Gordon sighs. It’s no use getting upset with Benrey for simply trying to protect them. He knows they’re right. The few times he’d seen glimpses of a Celestial’s true form, he’d been unable to even begin to comprehend it. Just looking at it hurt his eyes, his mind. “Alright, I get it. Bend down, I wanna be eye level with you.”

Benrey’s cheeks darken. “Okay.” They crouch, singular eye nervously looking back and forth between Gordon’s two. 

“Calm down, dude. I’m not gonna hurt you.” Gordon’s left hand hovers over the cross on Benrey’s face. “Can I….” Gordon trails off, whispering.

“Go ahead.” 

Gordon lays his hand on the cross. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel like a scar. It feels like the rest of their “skin.” Smooth, warm, gently humming beneath his fingertips. He runs his hand across the lines, tracing them. Benrey leans their face into his touch. Gordon smiles at that. They were a bigger sap than they let on. Gordon lifts his hand and lets it hover over the larger cross on Benrey’s torso. He looks them in the eye. They nod. He lays his hand over it. It feels the same as the one on their face. As he’s tracing the perpendicular lines, he beings to laugh, quietly, softly. “Beings Above, Benrey, you’re amazing. To go through all this and come out alive?” Gordon turns away from Benrey’s face. “You’re so strong, you know that? I can’t even begin to imagine what you went through, and for so long, too. And you’re beautiful, too. Looking at you, it’s like, heh, it’s like looking at the sky on a clear night. When you can see all the stars and moons. It’s like The Solar and The Lunar made you themselves. Put all their best work into you. Aw, look at me, I’m being all sappy. I guess what I’m trying to say is…. I love you, Benrey.”

With that, Gordon gathers the courage to look back at Benrey’s face. They’re crying, tears floating toward the ceiling. They open their mouth, then close it, repeating the motion a couple times. 

Gordon chuckles. “Never heard someone say that to you before?”

Benrey shakes their head. 

Gordon smiles. “Ever been kissed? You even know what that is?”

Another shake of Benrey’s head. 

“Will you let me show you?”

Benrey nods. 

Gordon takes Benrey’s face into his hand. He brings their faces closer together, pauses, tilts his head, and presses his lips against Benrey’s. It’s unlike anything Gordon’s ever experienced before, but, then again, he’s never kissed a Celestial before. Benrey’s lips buzz against his own, radiating a pleasant warmth. The kiss is short, and Gordon pulls back, looking in Benrey’s eye. Their face is a deep indigo. 

“How was that?”

“I…. um…. can you, maybe, do it again?”

Gordon laughs, loud and full. He doesn’t care that he’s drawn the attention of the others in the room. Doesn’t care when Tommy gives the two of them a double thumbs up. Doesn’t care when he hears Bubby shout “Get a room!”

Gordon doesn’t care. He smiles and kisses Benrey again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask me about this au on my tumblr (@rrrrrrrex with 7 R’s)  
> Any kudos or comments would be greatly appreciated!


End file.
